Kolkata, July 30 : The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday seized 16 gold biscuits valued at Rs 52.30 lakh from West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, a BSF officer said.

Acting on a tip-off, BSF troopers from Nadia district's Krishnanagar outpost set a vigil at Bansghata village and conducted a check on a group of farmers at the border area, and recovered the smuggled gold biscuits at around 9.30 a.m.

"Two farmers -- Ganesh Mondal and Saurav Mondal -- fled during the checking, leaving behind a tiffin box. Sixteen gold biscuits weighing 1.69 kg were found in the tiffin box," Rabi Ranjan, the spokesperson for BSF's South Bengal Frontier, said in a release.

"The seized gold biscuits have been handed over to the customs authority in Bagdah in North 24 Parganas district for further legal action," he said.

The South Bengal Frontier of the BSF has seized 12.45 kgs of gold worth Rs 3.9 crore and apprehended five smugglers so far in 2018.




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New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".

The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.

The accused has been arrested.

In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.

"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.

She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.

Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.

It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.

Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.

In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.

"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.

Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.